2021 G30 BMW 5 Series LCI teased ahead of debut

At the 100th annual general meeting of the BMW Group, the company dropped the first official teaser of the upcoming G30 BMW 5 Series LCI (Life Cycle Impulse), with the facelifted sedan set to debut in the next two weeks.

This was revealed in a presentation by Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW Group, who said, “in just under two weeks, we will present the new BMW 5 Series. Both the Sedan and the Touring will also be available as electrified versions. We are using our 48-volt mild hybrid technology in nearly all conventional models – saving up to nine grams of CO2 per kilometre.”

Of course, we won’t need to wait that long to see the changes made to BMW’s rival to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which has already been given a refresh back in March. Towards the end of April, leaked images of the updated 5er made its way online, giving us a clear look at what’s new.

On the exterior, the most obvious change is the adoption of a conjoined kidney grille, a cue that is already present on the rest of the BMW line-up. Unlike the latest G11/G12 7 Series, the carmaker opted against enlarging the grille, and instead made it to appear more in line with the smaller 3 Series, complete with chromed vertical slats.

Other changes up front include slimmer and notched headlamps that feature a new, L-shaped LED daytime running light design. The model in the leaked photos is dressed up in an M Sport kit, with prominent intakes on the bumper.

As for the rear, the LED taillights now come with revised graphics and a darker tint to them, while the bumper appears to remain largely similar to what you get with the pre-facelift model.

From this angle, we can also spot a “530e” badge, confirming the availability of a plug-in hybrid variant, although it is expected to retain the electrified 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder rather than stepping up to an inline-six as seen in the 745Le (badged as the 740Le here in Malaysia). Based on Zipse’s words, lesser, mild hybrid powertrain will also be made available.

We’ll only get more details about the new 5 Series within the next two weeks, including any potential equipment upgrades put in place. For now, what do you think of the facelift, and how does it stack up to its closest rival, the E-Class?

Originating from the corporate world with a background in finance and economics, Gerard’s strong love for cars led him to take the plunge into the automotive media industry. It was only then did he realise that there are more things to a car than just horsepower count.

You can either post as a guest or have an option to register. Among the advantages of registering is once a name has been registered, a guest cannot post using that name. If you have an account, please login before commenting. If you wish to have a profile photo next to your name, register at Gravatar using the same e-mail address you use to comment.